“Our southern border is a pipeline for vast quantities of illegal drugs, including meth, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. Every week, 300 of our citizens are killed by heroin alone, 90 percent of which floods across from our southern border. More Americans will die from drugs this year than were killed in the entire Vietnam War.

In the last two years, ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records, including those charged or convicted of 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes, and 4,000 violent killings. Over the years, thousands of Americans have been brutally killed by those who illegally entered our country, and thousands more lives will be lost if we don’t act right now.

This is a humanitarian crisis — a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul.

The border wall would very quickly pay for itself. The cost of illegal drugs exceeds $500 billion a year — vastly more than the $5.7 billion we have requested from Congress. The wall will also be paid for, indirectly, by the great new trade deal we have made with Mexico.

Day after day, precious lives are cut short by those who have violated our borders. In California, an Air Force veteran was raped, murdered, and beaten to death with a hammer by an illegal alien with a long criminal history. In Georgia, an illegal alien was recently charged with murder for killing, beheading, and dismembering his neighbor. In Maryland, MS-13 gang members who arrived in the United States as unaccompanied minors were arrested and charged last year after viciously stabbing and beating a 16-year-old girl.

Over the last several years, I’ve met with dozens of families whose loved ones were stolen by illegal immigration. I’ve held the hands of the weeping mothers and embraced the grief-stricken fathers. So sad. So terrible. I will never forget the pain in their eyes, the tremble in their voices, and the sadness gripping their souls.

How much more American blood must we shed before Congress does its job?”

(He just declared open season on brown people for political points and bucks.)

Pelosi: “The fact is: We all agree that we need to secure our borders, while honoring our values [the kinder, gentler ICE™ we hear mentioned?]: we can build the infrastructure and roads at our ports of entry; we can install new technology to scan cars and trucks for drugs coming into our nation; we can hire the personnel we need to facilitate trade and immigration at the border; and we can fund more innovation to detect unauthorized crossings.

The fact is: the women and children at the border are not a security threat, they are a humanitarian challenge – a challenge that President Trump’s own cruel and counterproductive policies have only deepened.”

(But oh, those male rapists and murderers and drug mules…look out!)

Schumer:

“Make no mistake: Democrats and the President both want stronger border security. However, we sharply disagree with the President about the most effective way to do it.

The symbol of America should be the Statue of Liberty, not a thirty-foot wall.”

“The official Democratic response was given by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Their perfunctory remarks were punctuated by protestations of support for “border security” and appeals for bipartisan compromise, while lacking any concrete demands for a halt to the administration’s antidemocratic measures against immigrants. There was no call to free the incarcerated families and children, halt the Gestapo-type work place raids, tear down the tent city internment camps and the growing network of prisons for immigrants, or end the systematic violation of the right to asylum.

The one true statement Trump made in his speech was a reminder that Schumer and Pelosi had supported and voted for a border wall in the past, including offering just last year to back $25 billion for Trump’s wall in return for a broader—and punitive—immigration package.

Most remarkable was the absence in their remarks of any warning about the deeply antidemocratic implications of the measures already taken by the Trump administration or the fundamental and far-reaching implications of the White House’s threat to bypass Congress and order the military to build the wall under a state of emergency.

This underscores the fact that there is no democratic side in the political conflict within the ruling elite that has given rise to the government shutdown. The Democrats are allied with the predominant sections of the military and intelligence apparatus, which are using the Mueller anti-Russia probe and other investigations to either force Trump to adopt a more aggressive policy in the Middle East and against Russia or remove him from office altogether. They work to strengthen the police agencies of the state and operate with the methods of palace coup, while spearheading the drive to criminalize political opposition and censor the internet.”

“Papi, are we there—are we almost there?”Wide-eyed incantationof a child, three feet plus/60 pounds.Exodus leaving the lowlandsix days before birthday 7…

“Papi, are we there—are we almost there?”Beaming birthday celebranton the bus munching an un-crushed pink frosted cookiefrom Papi’s beat up backpack

“Papi, are we there—are we almost there?”Her small, soft hands celebratingHeroics of an unshaven face chasingDreams; dreams of pine tree scentsand small gifts—compliments of magicof his hands. Dreams of the doll herMother promised, before dying suddenly;Dreams of asylum from violence, fleeingextractive capitalism’s suction tube tentacles…

Papi also had dreams of “J-Bird,” as hecalled her, teaching school and universitywith compassion and skill she instructedstick dolls he’d crafted from fallen branches

“Papi, are we there—are we almost there?”springing up and down on herinvisible trampoline, Papi’s promisesof a Christmas tree and celebration inCalifornia, in America…racing throughher amazed and amazing mind.Papi was proud. His back burned andached. He clenched his teeth, when shedozed off to sleep. His stomach growled,rattling sunken sides. He went withouteating so her belly would be full. He tooktiny swigs of water so she’d have enough…

(Football fans who love players that ‘play

through pain;’ Basketball fans who loveplayers that ‘create their own shots,’ doeschasing dreams thousands of miles throughgovernment/gang infested swamps—bad back7 yr. old in tow—show up in your thicket ofstatistics and fantasy?)

“Papi, are we there—are we almost there?”To her the bumpy ride jarring dreams,juggling her belly up and down was anAdventure. And Papi had prepared her forit with bedtime stories where everyone livedHappily ever after…

but the egregious lies that the great orange one told that means Open Season on brown people. patrick martin named a few the other day:

“Trump administration spokesmen, effectively previewing the speech, fanned out on the Sunday network interview programs to press for the border wall, each parroting the flat-out lie that 4,000 terrorists were apprehended attempting to enter the country from Mexico last year.

The bogus character of this claim has been widely exposed. Even Fox News rebutted it, as interviewer Chris Wallace pointed out to White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders that 4,000 was the figure for everyone on government watch lists apprehended attempting to enter the country, most of them at airports, not the US-Mexico border.
NBC News reported that the actual number of such “terrorist” detentions at the US-Mexico border in the first half of 2018 was six people, not the thousands invoked by the White House as justification for a border wall."

apparently 22 asylum seekers have died since boss Tweet took office; wonder if they were counting under the Smilin' Dream Act Man?

See, I think that should tell everyone about humans in general, that and twerking. These are the humans the rest of us humans call our leaders.

@Cassiodorus
Projection with perhaps a bit of reverse racism too. Dems are famous for projection. Without projection establishment Dems have no program...oh, wait! "Give me you attired, your poorest of the 1% and the bundled masses of money changers" I thought I read this on the statute of Liberty (typo intended).

he still is. and he also caged families with one space blanket per person while they slept on concrete floors. also remember that he gave Peña Nieto a bunch a bucks to stop immigrants at the border, send them back to their miserable fucking lives, most caused by amerikan policies.

trump's just the Sheriff Joe Arpaio (maricopa county, AZ) face of of it all, save for the perhaps under Obomba they weren't tear-gassed, but as to that i'm not positive.

but today's the first day of No Paychecks, but apparently WIC wasn't given funds, soon food stamps will be in the wind, reservation money...gone already.

That's all it really is. Barack Obama is still the deportation king, right?

"There was no call to free the incarcerated families and children, halt the Gestapo-type work place raids, tear down the tent city internment camps and the growing network of prisons for immigrants, or end the systematic violation of the right to asylum." Of course. Immigration is the Democrats' abortion - if it were resolved they would have to find another cash cow. The Democrats don't give a f*** about immigrants, they want them to suffer. They want them to be exploited, they want rampant, up front racism. We all know that Trump is evil, it's about time to get it through to people that corporate Democrats are also evil.

the continuing 'purification and fascism of the duopoly 'leaders'. and herr T and the Ds know if he does in fact use defense dollars to 'build the wall', more austerity for the peasants will ensue. TINA! grand bargains!

"There was no call to free the incarcerated families and children, halt the Gestapo-type work place raids, tear down the tent city internment camps and the growing network of prisons for immigrants, or end the systematic violation of the right to asylum." Of course. Immigration is the Democrats' abortion - if it were resolved they would have to find another cash cow. The Democrats don't give a f*** about immigrants, they want them to suffer. They want them to be exploited, they want rampant, up front racism. We all know that Trump is evil, it's about time to get it through to people that corporate Democrats are also evil.

The 2006 Secure Fence Act might be this election cycle's Iraq vote. Sanders, then in the House, voted against it, along with Barbara Lee, Nancy Pelosi, and John Murtha, to give a sense of Democratic spectrum. In the Senate, Patty Murray, Harry Reid, Feingold voted against. Clinton, Schumer, Obama, and Biden voted in favor. The act appropriated billions of dollars to pay for drones, a “virtual wall,” aerostat blimps, radar, helicopters, watchtowers, surveillance balloons, razor ribbon, landfill to block canyons, border berms, adjustable barriers to compensate for shifting dunes, and a lab (located at Texas A&M and run in partnership with Boeing) to test fence prototypes. The number of border agents doubled, and the length of border fencing quadrupled. Also, Sanders voted against Bill Clinton's catastrophic 1996 Immigration Control and Financial Responsibility Act, which Dara Lind at Vox identifies as the foundation of Trump's deportation regime. So did Sherrod Brown in the House.

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11 users have voted.

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"The sustainable and just civilization that we hope to create... cannot be built using a capitalist economy" - Kim Stanley Robinson

the reason you and grandin are referencing the 2006 secure defense act, cass. but the sickest part of it was that none of the tech worked, in any event.

The 2006 Secure Fence Act might be this election cycle's Iraq vote. Sanders, then in the House, voted against it, along with Barbara Lee, Nancy Pelosi, and John Murtha, to give a sense of Democratic spectrum. In the Senate, Patty Murray, Harry Reid, Feingold voted against. Clinton, Schumer, Obama, and Biden voted in favor. The act appropriated billions of dollars to pay for drones, a “virtual wall,” aerostat blimps, radar, helicopters, watchtowers, surveillance balloons, razor ribbon, landfill to block canyons, border berms, adjustable barriers to compensate for shifting dunes, and a lab (located at Texas A&M and run in partnership with Boeing) to test fence prototypes. The number of border agents doubled, and the length of border fencing quadrupled. Also, Sanders voted against Bill Clinton's catastrophic 1996 Immigration Control and Financial Responsibility Act, which Dara Lind at Vox identifies as the foundation of Trump's deportation regime. So did Sherrod Brown in the House.

The right wing, Trump supporters, Fox news, etc., are all throwing out these facts about how much crime there is, the amount of drugs, the number of terrorists, the amount of costs, etc. Turns out, at least what I've read, they're lying their asses off. It's like the absurd figure given out in a previous post here that illegal immigrants cost taxpayers $200 billion per year. When challenged of course the author could not back that up and it turns out it came directly from Trump's mouth, and of course he couldn't back it up either.

Relative to drugs and terrorists, our own government is the biggest problem relative to those issues. The notion that illegal immigration is increasing belies the facts that it's steadily decreased over the last 20 years. Etc.

After reviewing everything the last couple weeks, I'm now adamantly opposed to any fucking walls.

@Big Al
Like the $150 billion of taxpayer money Obama gave to Iran...Which was actually $50 billion that belonged to Iran in the first place.

The right wing, Trump supporters, Fox news, etc., are all throwing out these facts about how much crime there is, the amount of drugs, the number of terrorists, the amount of costs, etc. Turns out, at least what I've read, they're lying their asses off. It's like the absurd figure given out in a previous post here that illegal immigrants cost taxpayers $200 billion per year. When challenged of course the author could not back that up and it turns out it came directly from Trump's mouth, and of course he couldn't back it up either.

Relative to drugs and terrorists, our own government is the biggest problem relative to those issues. The notion that illegal immigration is increasing belies the facts that it's steadily decreased over the last 20 years. Etc.

After reviewing everything the last couple weeks, I'm now adamantly opposed to any fucking walls.

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9 users have voted.

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" In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry, and is generally considered to have been a bad move. -- Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy "

damned lies as statistics. but 'illegal' gets pretty tricky in my book, which is a longer story, but the only Legals are the first american indigenous, if i want to stretch a point, and i do: it's a stolen land!

but a hella lot of the undocumented pay taxes, and don' drain what's left of the social safety net, in any event. and yes, the bogus figures have been debunked year after year, but as twain said: 'a lie can circle the world ten times before the truth has time to get its pants on'. why? because people want to believe it, in this case: fear works.

The right wing, Trump supporters, Fox news, etc., are all throwing out these facts about how much crime there is, the amount of drugs, the number of terrorists, the amount of costs, etc. Turns out, at least what I've read, they're lying their asses off. It's like the absurd figure given out in a previous post here that illegal immigrants cost taxpayers $200 billion per year. When challenged of course the author could not back that up and it turns out it came directly from Trump's mouth, and of course he couldn't back it up either.

Relative to drugs and terrorists, our own government is the biggest problem relative to those issues. The notion that illegal immigration is increasing belies the facts that it's steadily decreased over the last 20 years. Etc.

After reviewing everything the last couple weeks, I'm now adamantly opposed to any fucking walls.

@wendy davis
want to believe it due to lazy thinking. SO much easier to blame an immigrant who has no power at all than to actually look at just who owns us and just how many of "us" vote for our owners' wishes every single day. Scapegoating, it's what's for dinner...

damned lies as statistics. but 'illegal' gets pretty tricky in my book, which is a longer story, but the only Legals are the first american indigenous, if i want to stretch a point, and i do: it's a stolen land!

but a hella lot of the undocumented pay taxes, and don' drain what's left of the social safety net, in any event. and yes, the bogus figures have been debunked year after year, but as twain said: 'a lie can circle the world ten times before the truth has time to get its pants on'. why? because people want to believe it, in this case: fear works.

a parallel theme for decades has been 'when the economic pie gets smaller, 'the other must be to blame'.

#6.2 want to believe it due to lazy thinking. SO much easier to blame an immigrant who has no power at all than to actually look at just who owns us and just how many of "us" vote for our owners' wishes every single day. Scapegoating, it's what's for dinner...

@Big Al
The "200billion" figure might come from combining the actual monetary value of property stolen or destroyed with the cost of the police needed to respond and the cost of the prisons and the room and board for the prisoners. But considering that most of those numbers are highly inflated through profiteering and highly subjective after all any number is claimable.

The right wing, Trump supporters, Fox news, etc., are all throwing out these facts about how much crime there is, the amount of drugs, the number of terrorists, the amount of costs, etc. Turns out, at least what I've read, they're lying their asses off. It's like the absurd figure given out in a previous post here that illegal immigrants cost taxpayers $200 billion per year. When challenged of course the author could not back that up and it turns out it came directly from Trump's mouth, and of course he couldn't back it up either.

Relative to drugs and terrorists, our own government is the biggest problem relative to those issues. The notion that illegal immigration is increasing belies the facts that it's steadily decreased over the last 20 years. Etc.

After reviewing everything the last couple weeks, I'm now adamantly opposed to any fucking walls.

What we are seeing is a manufactured crisis so that the executive office can have even more power to destroy what is left of the constitution and our rights. Starting with the false flag of 9/11, congress has been passing legislation that have seen our guaranteed freedoms eroding and now it's coming to fruition. This isn't just Trump doing this. He has the support of both republicans and democrats. If he didn't then McConnell would bring the budget up for a vote that both the senate and house passed just before Trump decided that he wanted $5 billion and now $5.7 billion for the wall. The democrats have many procedural ways to force McConnell to do that and yet ... they are not doing it.

Once Trump declares a national emergency he can do all kinds of things such as declaring martial law and going from there. The GOP held all branches of government for two years, but now he suddenly says that the wall must be built? Kabuki! In other words, bullshit!

Under the US Constitution, Article I, Congress has sole power to appropriate funds. The president has no constitutional power to spend money without congressional authorization, and very limited authority to use money already appropriated by Congress for other purposes, and then only in genuine emergencies like Hurricane Katrina, for example, or the destruction of the World Trade Center towers in the 9/11 attacks.

It is clear from this record that the fundamental issue in the current crisis in Washington is not the wall, or even immigration policy as a whole, but rather the drive by the US ruling elite to establish a completely unconstrained executive power. The crisis over the border wall has been manufactured to provide the pretext for Trump carrying out a long-prepared assertion of virtually unlimited presidential authority.

What is unfolding in Washington is a breakdown in the constitutional principles that have been the basis of American government for more than two centuries. This is not merely the result of Trump’s presidency, but has been foreshadowed in previous administrations, both Republican and Democratic, which waged wars without congressional authorization and conducted massive surveillance, preventive detentions and outright assassinations of American citizens in defiance of constitutional norms.

At the root of this erosion of American democracy is the deepening class chasm in the United States. This country is divided, irrevocably, between a tiny elite of multi-millionaires and billionaires at the top, who control virtually all wealth and power, and the vast majority of the population, the working class, who produce that wealth through their labor, but do not benefit from it.

and in so many ways Obomba was the precursor who opened the door for Puerco Trump to proceed; he's just a more naked face on megalomaniacal power. thanks for 13603, but so many other EO prez power grabs. but ain't he got a purdy smile? and michelle's arms: 'to die for'.

What we are seeing is a manufactured crisis so that the executive office can have even more power to destroy what is left of the constitution and our rights. Starting with the false flag of 9/11, congress has been passing legislation that have seen our guaranteed freedoms eroding and now it's coming to fruition. This isn't just Trump doing this. He has the support of both republicans and democrats. If he didn't then McConnell would bring the budget up for a vote that both the senate and house passed just before Trump decided that he wanted $5 billion and now $5.7 billion for the wall. The democrats have many procedural ways to force McConnell to do that and yet ... they are not doing it.

Once Trump declares a national emergency he can do all kinds of things such as declaring martial law and going from there. The GOP held all branches of government for two years, but now he suddenly says that the wall must be built? Kabuki! In other words, bullshit!

Under the US Constitution, Article I, Congress has sole power to appropriate funds. The president has no constitutional power to spend money without congressional authorization, and very limited authority to use money already appropriated by Congress for other purposes, and then only in genuine emergencies like Hurricane Katrina, for example, or the destruction of the World Trade Center towers in the 9/11 attacks.

It is clear from this record that the fundamental issue in the current crisis in Washington is not the wall, or even immigration policy as a whole, but rather the drive by the US ruling elite to establish a completely unconstrained executive power. The crisis over the border wall has been manufactured to provide the pretext for Trump carrying out a long-prepared assertion of virtually unlimited presidential authority.

What is unfolding in Washington is a breakdown in the constitutional principles that have been the basis of American government for more than two centuries. This is not merely the result of Trump’s presidency, but has been foreshadowed in previous administrations, both Republican and Democratic, which waged wars without congressional authorization and conducted massive surveillance, preventive detentions and outright assassinations of American citizens in defiance of constitutional norms.

At the root of this erosion of American democracy is the deepening class chasm in the United States. This country is divided, irrevocably, between a tiny elite of multi-millionaires and billionaires at the top, who control virtually all wealth and power, and the vast majority of the population, the working class, who produce that wealth through their labor, but do not benefit from it.

Just like he was Bush on steroids in regards to wars, ect, the things he did behind the scenes eroded the checks on the EX as much as the Cheney VP did. People just were not paying attention to him and those of us that were and called him out on were called racists and told to STFU. Now Trump is looking into taking money that was for natural disasters like Puerto Rico and even funds for the CA wildfires. This is where the democrats can put their foot down if they want this stopped and the GOP should get on board too because Trump can not legally do this.

A congressional official said the White House has directed the Army Corps of Engineers to look for billions of dollars earmarked last year for disaster response for Puerto Rico and other areas that could be diverted to a border wall as part of the emergency declaration. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly.

Gawd forbid that Trump thinks about taking some money out of the bloated military budget, but even that would be illegal unless congress authorizes it.

and in so many ways Obomba was the precursor who opened the door for Puerco Trump to proceed; he's just a more naked face on megalomaniacal power. thanks for 13603, but so many other EO prez power grabs. but ain't he got a purdy smile? and michelle's arms: 'to die for'.

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4 users have voted.

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The public has been conditioned over time—in ways that would make Pavlov’s dawg seem like an in independent thinker

this, snoopy. too often i leave the tab here open while new comments come in, so i miss them as having been marked as 'new' later.

i wonder how many EOs obomba had propelled, but i do remember him having campaigned on 'transparency'. once in the oval, he classified more documents than any other prez to an order of magnitude or something.

this morning mr. wd was online earlier than i, and i asked him if Orange Julius had issues the emergency orders, but he said from what he could see on msn headlines...he was backing off a bit. even some of his own team believes it's a horrid idea. what a bellicose blustering Boss Tweet he is!

Just like he was Bush on steroids in regards to wars, ect, the things he did behind the scenes eroded the checks on the EX as much as the Cheney VP did. People just were not paying attention to him and those of us that were and called him out on were called racists and told to STFU. Now Trump is looking into taking money that was for natural disasters like Puerto Rico and even funds for the CA wildfires. This is where the democrats can put their foot down if they want this stopped and the GOP should get on board too because Trump can not legally do this.

A congressional official said the White House has directed the Army Corps of Engineers to look for billions of dollars earmarked last year for disaster response for Puerto Rico and other areas that could be diverted to a border wall as part of the emergency declaration. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly.

Gawd forbid that Trump thinks about taking some money out of the bloated military budget, but even that would be illegal unless congress authorizes it.

of the government. People were freaked out that Trump was going to declare a national emergency and now that he has backed off we get a two year old report from the NY Slimes that the FBI was investigating his possible ties to Russia because he fired Comey.

Why is that being released now? Is someone being wishy on declaring and he is being pushed in that direction by this news? The internet is ablaze with this report and people are breathlessly taking it apart and devoting lots of time and energy to it. Why NOW?

this, snoopy. too often i leave the tab here open while new comments come in, so i miss them as having been marked as 'new' later.

i wonder how many EOs obomba had propelled, but i do remember him having campaigned on 'transparency'. once in the oval, he classified more documents than any other prez to an order of magnitude or something.

this morning mr. wd was online earlier than i, and i asked him if Orange Julius had issues the emergency orders, but he said from what he could see on msn headlines...he was backing off a bit. even some of his own team believes it's a horrid idea. what a bellicose blustering Boss Tweet he is!

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2 users have voted.

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The public has been conditioned over time—in ways that would make Pavlov’s dawg seem like an in independent thinker

So what did they find out about whether Trump was working for Russia at the time he fired Comey? Why isn't anyone asking this question? Probably because it one never happened and there is another reason this was leaked yesterday, or two they found out that he wasn't.

Bottom line again .... why are we just hearing about this now and why is the air being sucked out the room over it?

of the government. People were freaked out that Trump was going to declare a national emergency and now that he has backed off we get a two year old report from the NY Slimes that the FBI was investigating his possible ties to Russia because he fired Comey.

Why is that being released now? Is someone being wishy on declaring and he is being pushed in that direction by this news? The internet is ablaze with this report and people are breathlessly taking it apart and devoting lots of time and energy to it. Why NOW?

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2 users have voted.

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The public has been conditioned over time—in ways that would make Pavlov’s dawg seem like an in independent thinker

me to go looking, and although mine eyes are worse than usual today so i'm not reading well, i found this version (thankfully) at RT: 'Twitter erupts after NYT reveals FBI probe into Trump-Russia links that lead… nowhere', including"\:

"Among Russiagate's devout faithful, the report was treated as an earth-shattering revelation that reinforced their core dogma – i.e., that Donald Trump is a Kremlin agent installed in the White House by Vladimir Putin to destroy democracy.

Unfortunately, even the Times begrudgingly admitted – albeit buried in the ninth paragraph – that "no evidence has emerged publicly that Mr. Trump was secretly in contact with or took direction from Russian government officials."

i did click thru via a private window to their link at the bottom: ‘F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was (sic) Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia’, NY Liars

now i'll have to ask if the Rt version tallies with the Grimes, but nowhere was julian assange actually mentioned that i could make out. what does that do the the Fact that assange IS also a russian agent? i've been trying to update a commenter from unity4j/greece, and went of course to visit marcy wheeler for her "reporting" via emma best on '141 things journalists should not say about julian assange'.

anyhoo, when i can myself together a bit, i may post a couple noteworthy pieces on assange.

maybe tomorrow, nothing earth-shattering, i hope. but why should we trust the US gummint or mainstream media?

of the government. People were freaked out that Trump was going to declare a national emergency and now that he has backed off we get a two year old report from the NY Slimes that the FBI was investigating his possible ties to Russia because he fired Comey.

Why is that being released now? Is someone being wishy on declaring and he is being pushed in that direction by this news? The internet is ablaze with this report and people are breathlessly taking it apart and devoting lots of time and energy to it. Why NOW?

So no evidence was found that he was working directly with Russia? Then why the hell was this reported and getting such publicity? Because the PTB want people to continue thinking that he's Vlad's pawn. So what is in the pipeline? More sanctions against Russia or some type of military action? Yeah I'm thinking it's the latter.

The navy has sent a few more ships to the Black Sea and they might move some into the Azea sea and push for conflict in the Kerch Straits. This is my guess. This report will lead to people giving their permission for military action. There is always a hidden agenda for the Slimes.

I had fun on Twitter last night asking why people have fallen for the biggest psyops in history and told them that Russia Gate is the new WMDs scam. Guess I'll go check and see how many people called me a Russian bot.

me to go looking, and although mine eyes are worse than usual today so i'm not reading well, i found this version (thankfully) at RT: 'Twitter erupts after NYT reveals FBI probe into Trump-Russia links that lead… nowhere', including"\:

"Among Russiagate's devout faithful, the report was treated as an earth-shattering revelation that reinforced their core dogma – i.e., that Donald Trump is a Kremlin agent installed in the White House by Vladimir Putin to destroy democracy.

Unfortunately, even the Times begrudgingly admitted – albeit buried in the ninth paragraph – that "no evidence has emerged publicly that Mr. Trump was secretly in contact with or took direction from Russian government officials."

i did click thru via a private window to their link at the bottom: ‘F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was (sic) Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia’, NY Liars

now i'll have to ask if the Rt version tallies with the Grimes, but nowhere was julian assange actually mentioned that i could make out. what does that do the the Fact that assange IS also a russian agent? i've been trying to update a commenter from unity4j/greece, and went of course to visit marcy wheeler for her "reporting" via emma best on '141 things journalists should not say about julian assange'.

anyhoo, when i can myself together a bit, i may post a couple noteworthy pieces on assange.

maybe tomorrow, nothing earth-shattering, i hope. but why should we trust the US gummint or mainstream media?

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1 user has voted.

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The public has been conditioned over time—in ways that would make Pavlov’s dawg seem like an in independent thinker

will the true believers like marcy wheeler note the caveat 'no public information...', etc.? i'll have to go over there when i have the time. my guess is you saw nothing about russian agent assange on the Time'sOut piece? did the guardian have it, lol?

So no evidence was found that he was working directly with Russia? Then why the hell was this reported and getting such publicity? Because the PTB want people to continue thinking that he's Vlad's pawn. So what is in the pipeline? More sanctions against Russia or some type of military action? Yeah I'm thinking it's the latter.

The navy has sent a few more ships to the Black Sea and they might move some into the Azea sea and push for conflict in the Kerch Straits. This is my guess. This report will lead to people giving their permission for military action. There is always a hidden agenda for the Slimes.

I had fun on Twitter last night asking why people have fallen for the biggest psyops in history and told them that Russia Gate is the new WMDs scam. Guess I'll go check and see how many people called me a Russian bot.

It went to great lengths to describe how bad it could be for the president of the USA to be in bed with a hostile power... or something. Lots and lots of words to say things like that and very few to say that he wasn't. The Slimes did what many websites are doing that want fuddle the truth. Here's one example..

Donald Trump asked Russia to hack into Hillary's emails ..

Donald J. Trump said on Wednesday that he hoped Russian intelligence services had successfully hacked Hillary Clinton’s email, and encouraged them to publish whatever they may have stolen, essentially urging a foreign adversary to conduct cyberespionage against a former secretary of state.

“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Mr. Trump said during a news conference here in an apparent reference to Mrs. Clinton’s deleted emails. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”

No he didn't you ....! It's interesting how no one ever talks about how Hillary's emails had been subpoenaed by congress after they found out that she hadn't turned them over after she left her position as SOS. Instead of doing this she deleted 30,000 of them because she said that they were personal and had nothing to do with her job. One reason she used her private email server was so that people who were involved with her foundation could access it. If they didn't have security clearances to read classified information, oh well. They did it anyway.

Every one of her emails were found on Anthony Weiner's laptop by the NYC FBI and the agents were appalled at the ones that were about sexual activities including with children. Comey nor Rosenstein nor anyone else who were supposed to be investigating her email server never looked at them.

Not sure how much of this you have followed, but the bottom line is that Hillary's buttocks should be sitting in prison because she should have been charged under the espionage act according to Obama's previous actions. Her server had been hacked by foreign country and Comey, congress and Huber the AG who is supposed to be looking into this knows that.

will the true believers like marcy wheeler note the caveat 'no public information...', etc.? i'll have to go over there when i have the time. my guess is you saw nothing about russian agent assange on the Time'sOut piece? did the guardian have it, lol?

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The public has been conditioned over time—in ways that would make Pavlov’s dawg seem like an in independent thinker

about hillary's 30,000 emails is down to you, as no, i hadn't followed it. but i'm so glad to see you've come back, because (h/t RT): ‘Trump has concealed details of his face-to-face encounters with Putin from senior officials in administration’, wapo, jan. 12, greg miller [#treason gate in helsinki)

very wapo-esque in the innuendo, and the name of the game is: Secrecy and Conspiracy.

"As a result, U.S. officials said there is no detailed record, even in classified files, of Trump’s face-to-face interactions with the Russian leader at five locations over the past two years. Such a gap would be unusual in any presidency, let alone one that Russia sought to install through what U.S. intelligence agencies have described as an unprecedented campaign of election interference.

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is thought to be in the final stages of an investigation that has focused largely on whether Trump or his associates conspired with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign. The new details about Trump’s continued secrecy underscore the extent to which little is known about his communications with Putin since becoming president."

but yeah, it's a full-court press; is it designed to aid impeachment? or as you say, more sanctions on russia? seems to me, though, that a lot of the reason his admin levied such sanctions against russia is down to the perception that he was soft on russia, as in seeking détente.

It went to great lengths to describe how bad it could be for the president of the USA to be in bed with a hostile power... or something. Lots and lots of words to say things like that and very few to say that he wasn't. The Slimes did what many websites are doing that want fuddle the truth. Here's one example..

Donald Trump asked Russia to hack into Hillary's emails ..

Donald J. Trump said on Wednesday that he hoped Russian intelligence services had successfully hacked Hillary Clinton’s email, and encouraged them to publish whatever they may have stolen, essentially urging a foreign adversary to conduct cyberespionage against a former secretary of state.

“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Mr. Trump said during a news conference here in an apparent reference to Mrs. Clinton’s deleted emails. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”

No he didn't you ....! It's interesting how no one ever talks about how Hillary's emails had been subpoenaed by congress after they found out that she hadn't turned them over after she left her position as SOS. Instead of doing this she deleted 30,000 of them because she said that they were personal and had nothing to do with her job. One reason she used her private email server was so that people who were involved with her foundation could access it. If they didn't have security clearances to read classified information, oh well. They did it anyway.

Every one of her emails were found on Anthony Weiner's laptop by the NYC FBI and the agents were appalled at the ones that were about sexual activities including with children. Comey nor Rosenstein nor anyone else who were supposed to be investigating her email server never looked at them.

Not sure how much of this you have followed, but the bottom line is that Hillary's buttocks should be sitting in prison because she should have been charged under the espionage act according to Obama's previous actions. Her server had been hacked by foreign country and Comey, congress and Huber the AG who is supposed to be looking into this knows that.

that article is on every site I have visited this morning and it's just full of falsehoods, flat out lies and innuendos.

"It handicaps the U.S. government - the experts and advisers and Cabinet officers who are there to serve [the president] - and it certainly gives Putin much more scope to manipulate Trump."

People read this and see it as a done deal that Trump is putty in Putin's hands. Trump should be having the WH lawyers looking over the reports and if there is wording like this and worse then they should start threatening to sue. his is libel against the US president and it doesn't matter that it's Trump to me. According to the laws of this land he is the duly elected president sworn in to office and this is an attempt to undermine him or worse.
But just like what happened during Bush's tenure, people are focusing on the dwerp in office and not what policies are coming out of congress. Especially during the first 100 days of his presidency when the GOP rolled back many of Obama's last minute legislation. Most of that went under the radar.

about hillary's 30,000 emails is down to you, as no, i hadn't followed it. but i'm so glad to see you've come back, because (h/t RT): ‘Trump has concealed details of his face-to-face encounters with Putin from senior officials in administration’, wapo, jan. 12, greg miller [#treason gate in helsinki)

very wapo-esque in the innuendo, and the name of the game is: Secrecy and Conspiracy.

"As a result, U.S. officials said there is no detailed record, even in classified files, of Trump’s face-to-face interactions with the Russian leader at five locations over the past two years. Such a gap would be unusual in any presidency, let alone one that Russia sought to install through what U.S. intelligence agencies have described as an unprecedented campaign of election interference.

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is thought to be in the final stages of an investigation that has focused largely on whether Trump or his associates conspired with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign. The new details about Trump’s continued secrecy underscore the extent to which little is known about his communications with Putin since becoming president."

but yeah, it's a full-court press; is it designed to aid impeachment? or as you say, more sanctions on russia? seems to me, though, that a lot of the reason his admin levied such sanctions against russia is down to the perception that he was soft on russia, as in seeking détente.

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2 users have voted.

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The public has been conditioned over time—in ways that would make Pavlov’s dawg seem like an in independent thinker

degree. i finally went to marcy wheeler's abode, as is always featured is the 'russians hacked the DNC docs for Trump' (as indisputable fact) within a 'they could have trump for bribery, not treason' thang.

that article is on every site I have visited this morning and it's just full of falsehoods, flat out lies and innuendos.

"It handicaps the U.S. government - the experts and advisers and Cabinet officers who are there to serve [the president] - and it certainly gives Putin much more scope to manipulate Trump."

People read this and see it as a done deal that Trump is putty in Putin's hands. Trump should be having the WH lawyers looking over the reports and if there is wording like this and worse then they should start threatening to sue. his is libel against the US president and it doesn't matter that it's Trump to me. According to the laws of this land he is the duly elected president sworn in to office and this is an attempt to undermine him or worse.
But just like what happened during Bush's tenure, people are focusing on the dwerp in office and not what policies are coming out of congress. Especially during the first 100 days of his presidency when the GOP rolled back many of Obama's last minute legislation. Most of that went under the radar.

@snoopydawg
that meme sd, just commenting to bm it for easy retrieval.
There is a Lot of DeadWood out there that needs more nails like this one pounded into it.

peace

What we are seeing is a manufactured crisis so that the executive office can have even more power to destroy what is left of the constitution and our rights. Starting with the false flag of 9/11, congress has been passing legislation that have seen our guaranteed freedoms eroding and now it's coming to fruition. This isn't just Trump doing this. He has the support of both republicans and democrats. If he didn't then McConnell would bring the budget up for a vote that both the senate and house passed just before Trump decided that he wanted $5 billion and now $5.7 billion for the wall. The democrats have many procedural ways to force McConnell to do that and yet ... they are not doing it.

Once Trump declares a national emergency he can do all kinds of things such as declaring martial law and going from there. The GOP held all branches of government for two years, but now he suddenly says that the wall must be built? Kabuki! In other words, bullshit!

Under the US Constitution, Article I, Congress has sole power to appropriate funds. The president has no constitutional power to spend money without congressional authorization, and very limited authority to use money already appropriated by Congress for other purposes, and then only in genuine emergencies like Hurricane Katrina, for example, or the destruction of the World Trade Center towers in the 9/11 attacks.

It is clear from this record that the fundamental issue in the current crisis in Washington is not the wall, or even immigration policy as a whole, but rather the drive by the US ruling elite to establish a completely unconstrained executive power. The crisis over the border wall has been manufactured to provide the pretext for Trump carrying out a long-prepared assertion of virtually unlimited presidential authority.

What is unfolding in Washington is a breakdown in the constitutional principles that have been the basis of American government for more than two centuries. This is not merely the result of Trump’s presidency, but has been foreshadowed in previous administrations, both Republican and Democratic, which waged wars without congressional authorization and conducted massive surveillance, preventive detentions and outright assassinations of American citizens in defiance of constitutional norms.

At the root of this erosion of American democracy is the deepening class chasm in the United States. This country is divided, irrevocably, between a tiny elite of multi-millionaires and billionaires at the top, who control virtually all wealth and power, and the vast majority of the population, the working class, who produce that wealth through their labor, but do not benefit from it.

It is not about safety for illegal aliens (No, I will not use the deceptive term "undocumenteds". It is about 3 things

1. Demonratic lip service about a concept which in theory they supported in 2010 but did nothing about despite philibuster-proof majorities in 2010. They want votes--any way they can get them.

2. Repugnant lip service so that large companies can avail themselves of cheap labor--enhanced by failure to enforce laws against hiring illegal aliens.

3. It is purely political. Dems would rather rupture an aneurysm than let Trump achieve one of his campaign promises. This should transparent enough to even many politically-illiterate adults to see through the bushwah.

The humanitarian crisis is present--but the US has better ways to solve it--not that we'll see the needed changes in our life times. Central and to a lesser degree South America is facing a humanitarian crisis. Many different reasons of course but humanitarian concerns do not loom large in corrupt and/or authoritarian regimes--including ours. These humanitarian concerns cannot be solved at our southern border nor should they be. I do not get teary-eyed to see the Soros caravasion stopped at the border (at least those that survived the journey). The place for redress is two-fold.

The first redress is ending all US-driven aggressive war. Destruction of national economies and persistent threats to personal safety naturally lead to a desire to flee (Frog!--get out of that pan!)
Ending that threat of demolition by the Neocons will be an enormous aid to stop the lower border stampede.

The second redress is focussed foreign aid to countries whence these caravaners come. By focussed aid, I mean monitored disbursement and follow-on audits of aid, especially but not exclusively monetary.

Social Justice Warriors, the sock puppets of Demonratic elites sob tears of sorrow for the poor raggedy bunches of anxious people looking for a good life. After a good 10 minute sob session the SJWs then go to Olive Garden for wine (and whine) and dinner.

Trump is antidemocratic by avoiding the legislature to fund the wall. He is just sticking it to the Dems as long and hard as he can. Plus he probably has the alleged legal right via executive order to declare a state of emergency, whether Dems, SJWs etc. object. There ARE un-designated funds (plenty!) in the existing federal budget section of defense spending to completely build a wall with all the bells and whistles--barbed wire, electrification and lotsa drones (about $20B)--with much money left over, still undesignated.

It is not about safety for illegal aliens (No, I will not use the deceptive term "undocumenteds". It is about 3 things

1. Demonratic lip service about a concept which in theory they supported in 2010 but did nothing about despite philibuster-proof majorities in 2010. They want votes--any way they can get them.

2. Repugnant lip service so that large companies can avail themselves of cheap labor--enhanced by failure to enforce laws against hiring illegal aliens.

3. It is purely political. Dems would rather rupture an aneurysm than let Trump achieve one of his campaign promises. This should transparent enough to even many politically-illiterate adults to see through the bushwah.

The humanitarian crisis is present--but the US has better ways to solve it--not that we'll see the needed changes in our life times. Central and to a lesser degree South America is facing a humanitarian crisis. Many different reasons of course but humanitarian concerns do not loom large in corrupt and/or authoritarian regimes--including ours. These humanitarian concerns cannot be solved at our southern border nor should they be. I do not get teary-eyed to see the Soros caravasion stopped at the border (at least those that survived the journey). The place for redress is two-fold.

The first redress is ending all US-driven aggressive war. Destruction of national economies and persistent threats to personal safety naturally lead to a desire to flee (Frog!--get out of that pan!)
Ending that threat of demolition by the Neocons will be an enormous aid to stop the lower border stampede.

The second redress is focussed foreign aid to countries whence these caravaners come. By focussed aid, I mean monitored disbursement and follow-on audits of aid, especially but not exclusively monetary.

Social Justice Warriors, the sock puppets of Demonratic elites sob tears of sorrow for the poor raggedy bunches of anxious people looking for a good life. After a good 10 minute sob session the SJWs then go to Olive Garden for wine (and whine) and dinner.

Trump is antidemocratic by avoiding the legislature to fund the wall. He is just sticking it to the Dems as long and hard as he can. Plus he probably has the alleged legal right via executive order to declare a state of emergency, whether Dems, SJWs etc. object. There ARE un-designated funds (plenty!) in the existing federal budget section of defense spending to completely build a wall with all the bells and whistles--barbed wire, electrification and lotsa drones (about $20B)--with much money left over, still undesignated.

Nancy: I feel run down
Chuckles: I feel run over.

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6 users have voted.

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The public has been conditioned over time—in ways that would make Pavlov’s dawg seem like an in independent thinker

there's a lot to unpack on your comment, but as to your 'It is not about safety for illegal aliens', i assume you'd meant 'from [raping, murdering, drug-running illegal aliens'.

first: who do you designate as 'illegal aliens' rather than 'undocumented immigrants' 'asylum seeks', etc. i need to that before i comment further on it, unless you don't come back and i just forge ahead with my assumptions later.

'soros caravans'? from what i've read and found this a.m., that's a reactionary right-wing meme, including of course, the info ward dude alex jones. good grief, gator, whassup with your belief in that?

but here are some opinions on why they're being stopped at the border, first from justsecurity.org: , a few bits:

"On November 9, in response to a large caravan of migrants from Central America slowly traveling through Mexico towards the U.S. border, President Donald Trump’s administration issued a proclamation seeking to forbid migrants who cross the U.S. border anywhere but at an official port of entry from applying for asylum.

The move is legally questionable, and civil rights groups quickly sued to stop it. On Monday night, a federal judge issued a temporary nationwide restraining order barring enforcement of the new policy, saying it likely violated federal law. The federal asylum statute specifically says that anyone who arrives in the United States “whether or not at a designated port of arrival…may apply for asylum.”

"But even as it tells asylum-seekers they must go to a port of entry, the Trump administration has been turning them away from these very same ports for months, claiming that they are “at capacity.” According to both immigration lawyers and a report from the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this has led some migrants to attempt crossing unlawfully." [snip]

"Based on an investigation by the Project On Government Oversight (POGO)—including a review of recent court documents, government reports and statistics, and interviews—DHS’s claim is disingenuous at best. The evidence shows that the increasing wait times at ports of entry are not a function of a sudden surge of migrants, but of deliberate policy decisions by the Trump Administration to detain as many asylum seekers as possible for as long as possible.

The cumulative impact of the administration’s policies and practices is to leave migrants fleeing extreme violence and poverty in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador—including a large and growing number of families with young children—trapped in vulnerable situations on the Mexican side of the border, where crime and corruption are rife."

long, long, snip, then this section and its beginning paragraph:

A Dangerous Limbo at the Border

"After Trump ended family separations in response to public outcry, the lines outside some ports of entry shortened or disappeared for a time, but immigration attorneys began to see disturbing new tactics to deny asylum-seekers access."

later

"Asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico also face the threat of violence and kidnapping by gangs and cartels. The situation is particularly bad in the Rio Grande Valley. The U.S. State Department has issued a “do not travel” warning for the Mexican state of Tamaulipas—the same warning it issues for countries that are active war zones. The State Department urges U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel” to most other Mexican border states. Cartels often specifically target migrants for kidnapping, demanding ransom from family members. Migrants who cannot pay are sometimes killed. Notoriously, the Zetas cartel massacred 72 migrants in San Fernando, Tamaulipas in 2010, and at least 193 bodies were found in mass graves in the same city in 2011."

"As a result of the Trump administration’s opposition to “catch and release,” ICE is detaining more people than ever before, including an increasing number of asylum seekers. The agency reported to Congress in October that it was detaining an average of 44,631 people per day—about 10,000 more than was typical during the last fiscal year of the Obama administration. The U.S. government is also detaining a record number of unaccompanied migrant children in shelters run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) because of policy changes that have slowed releases from shelters. According to the New York Times, the number of migrant children in shelters quintupled over the last year, to over 13,000 as of September 30.

As HHS shelters and ICE detention centers have filled, CBP has held people in its custody for longer and longer periods before transferring them. CBP detention cells, whether they are located at ports of entry or at border patrol stations, are not designed to hold people overnight. Most are either concrete boxes or chain link cages, with no furniture other than concrete, metal, or wooden benches. Detainees commonly call the CBP cells “hieleras,” meaning freezers, or “perreras,” meaning dog kennels. Medical care is minimal or nonexistent, and detainees do not receive sleeping mats or bedding other than a mylar blanket."

and i DO weep for them, as most are fleeing the results of US-approved putsches of elected leaders in nicaragua and honduras, drug cartels (guns for drugs to amerika), etc.

from wola.org, feb.1: 'Fact Sheet: U.S. Immigration and Central American Asylum Seekers'

also from wola.org: 'Civil Society Groups: Mexico Should Reject U.S. Deal that Forces Asylum Seekers to Wait in Mexico'; it opens:

"On December 21, 2018, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and seven other international civil society organizations sent the following letter to Mexican officials expressing concerns over the so-called “Remain in Mexico” agreement between the United States and Mexico.

The plan that would break with long-standing U.S. asylum policy by requiring asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed in U.S. courts:

(then their letter to hopey-changey AMLO, et.al.)

your 'redresses' plans i'll need to comment on after some chores.

It is not about safety for illegal aliens (No, I will not use the deceptive term "undocumenteds". It is about 3 things

1. Demonratic lip service about a concept which in theory they supported in 2010 but did nothing about despite philibuster-proof majorities in 2010. They want votes--any way they can get them.

2. Repugnant lip service so that large companies can avail themselves of cheap labor--enhanced by failure to enforce laws against hiring illegal aliens.

3. It is purely political. Dems would rather rupture an aneurysm than let Trump achieve one of his campaign promises. This should transparent enough to even many politically-illiterate adults to see through the bushwah.

The humanitarian crisis is present--but the US has better ways to solve it--not that we'll see the needed changes in our life times. Central and to a lesser degree South America is facing a humanitarian crisis. Many different reasons of course but humanitarian concerns do not loom large in corrupt and/or authoritarian regimes--including ours. These humanitarian concerns cannot be solved at our southern border nor should they be. I do not get teary-eyed to see the Soros caravasion stopped at the border (at least those that survived the journey). The place for redress is two-fold.

The first redress is ending all US-driven aggressive war. Destruction of national economies and persistent threats to personal safety naturally lead to a desire to flee (Frog!--get out of that pan!)
Ending that threat of demolition by the Neocons will be an enormous aid to stop the lower border stampede.

The second redress is focussed foreign aid to countries whence these caravaners come. By focussed aid, I mean monitored disbursement and follow-on audits of aid, especially but not exclusively monetary.

Social Justice Warriors, the sock puppets of Demonratic elites sob tears of sorrow for the poor raggedy bunches of anxious people looking for a good life. After a good 10 minute sob session the SJWs then go to Olive Garden for wine (and whine) and dinner.

Trump is antidemocratic by avoiding the legislature to fund the wall. He is just sticking it to the Dems as long and hard as he can. Plus he probably has the alleged legal right via executive order to declare a state of emergency, whether Dems, SJWs etc. object. There ARE un-designated funds (plenty!) in the existing federal budget section of defense spending to completely build a wall with all the bells and whistles--barbed wire, electrification and lotsa drones (about $20B)--with much money left over, still undesignated.

there's a lot to unpack on your comment, but as to your 'It is not about safety for illegal aliens', i assume you'd meant 'from [raping, murdering, drug-running illegal aliens'.

first: who do you designate as 'illegal aliens' rather than 'undocumented immigrants' 'asylum seeks', etc. i need to that before i comment further on it, unless you don't come back and i just forge ahead with my assumptions later.

'soros caravans'? from what i've read and found this a.m., that's a reactionary right-wing meme, including of course, the info ward dude alex jones. good grief, gator, whassup with your belief in that?

but here are some opinions on why they're being stopped at the border, first from justsecurity.org: , a few bits:

"On November 9, in response to a large caravan of migrants from Central America slowly traveling through Mexico towards the U.S. border, President Donald Trump’s administration issued a proclamation seeking to forbid migrants who cross the U.S. border anywhere but at an official port of entry from applying for asylum.

The move is legally questionable, and civil rights groups quickly sued to stop it. On Monday night, a federal judge issued a temporary nationwide restraining order barring enforcement of the new policy, saying it likely violated federal law. The federal asylum statute specifically says that anyone who arrives in the United States “whether or not at a designated port of arrival…may apply for asylum.”

"But even as it tells asylum-seekers they must go to a port of entry, the Trump administration has been turning them away from these very same ports for months, claiming that they are “at capacity.” According to both immigration lawyers and a report from the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this has led some migrants to attempt crossing unlawfully." [snip]

"Based on an investigation by the Project On Government Oversight (POGO)—including a review of recent court documents, government reports and statistics, and interviews—DHS’s claim is disingenuous at best. The evidence shows that the increasing wait times at ports of entry are not a function of a sudden surge of migrants, but of deliberate policy decisions by the Trump Administration to detain as many asylum seekers as possible for as long as possible.

The cumulative impact of the administration’s policies and practices is to leave migrants fleeing extreme violence and poverty in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador—including a large and growing number of families with young children—trapped in vulnerable situations on the Mexican side of the border, where crime and corruption are rife."

long, long, snip, then this section and its beginning paragraph:

A Dangerous Limbo at the Border

"After Trump ended family separations in response to public outcry, the lines outside some ports of entry shortened or disappeared for a time, but immigration attorneys began to see disturbing new tactics to deny asylum-seekers access."

later

"Asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico also face the threat of violence and kidnapping by gangs and cartels. The situation is particularly bad in the Rio Grande Valley. The U.S. State Department has issued a “do not travel” warning for the Mexican state of Tamaulipas—the same warning it issues for countries that are active war zones. The State Department urges U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel” to most other Mexican border states. Cartels often specifically target migrants for kidnapping, demanding ransom from family members. Migrants who cannot pay are sometimes killed. Notoriously, the Zetas cartel massacred 72 migrants in San Fernando, Tamaulipas in 2010, and at least 193 bodies were found in mass graves in the same city in 2011."

"As a result of the Trump administration’s opposition to “catch and release,” ICE is detaining more people than ever before, including an increasing number of asylum seekers. The agency reported to Congress in October that it was detaining an average of 44,631 people per day—about 10,000 more than was typical during the last fiscal year of the Obama administration. The U.S. government is also detaining a record number of unaccompanied migrant children in shelters run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) because of policy changes that have slowed releases from shelters. According to the New York Times, the number of migrant children in shelters quintupled over the last year, to over 13,000 as of September 30.

As HHS shelters and ICE detention centers have filled, CBP has held people in its custody for longer and longer periods before transferring them. CBP detention cells, whether they are located at ports of entry or at border patrol stations, are not designed to hold people overnight. Most are either concrete boxes or chain link cages, with no furniture other than concrete, metal, or wooden benches. Detainees commonly call the CBP cells “hieleras,” meaning freezers, or “perreras,” meaning dog kennels. Medical care is minimal or nonexistent, and detainees do not receive sleeping mats or bedding other than a mylar blanket."

and i DO weep for them, as most are fleeing the results of US-approved putsches of elected leaders in nicaragua and honduras, drug cartels (guns for drugs to amerika), etc.

from wola.org, feb.1: 'Fact Sheet: U.S. Immigration and Central American Asylum Seekers'

also from wola.org: 'Civil Society Groups: Mexico Should Reject U.S. Deal that Forces Asylum Seekers to Wait in Mexico'; it opens:

"On December 21, 2018, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and seven other international civil society organizations sent the following letter to Mexican officials expressing concerns over the so-called “Remain in Mexico” agreement between the United States and Mexico.

The plan that would break with long-standing U.S. asylum policy by requiring asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed in U.S. courts:

there's a lot to unpack on your comment, but as to your 'It is not about safety for illegal aliens', i assume you'd meant 'from [raping, murdering, drug-running illegal aliens'.

first: who do you designate as 'illegal aliens' rather than 'undocumented immigrants' 'asylum seeks', etc. i need to that before i comment further on it, unless you don't come back and i just forge ahead with my assumptions later.

'soros caravans'? from what i've read and found this a.m., that's a reactionary right-wing meme, including of course, the info ward dude alex jones. good grief, gator, whassup with your belief in that?

but here are some opinions on why they're being stopped at the border, first from justsecurity.org: , a few bits:

"On November 9, in response to a large caravan of migrants from Central America slowly traveling through Mexico towards the U.S. border, President Donald Trump’s administration issued a proclamation seeking to forbid migrants who cross the U.S. border anywhere but at an official port of entry from applying for asylum.

The move is legally questionable, and civil rights groups quickly sued to stop it. On Monday night, a federal judge issued a temporary nationwide restraining order barring enforcement of the new policy, saying it likely violated federal law. The federal asylum statute specifically says that anyone who arrives in the United States “whether or not at a designated port of arrival…may apply for asylum.”

"But even as it tells asylum-seekers they must go to a port of entry, the Trump administration has been turning them away from these very same ports for months, claiming that they are “at capacity.” According to both immigration lawyers and a report from the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this has led some migrants to attempt crossing unlawfully." [snip]

"Based on an investigation by the Project On Government Oversight (POGO)—including a review of recent court documents, government reports and statistics, and interviews—DHS’s claim is disingenuous at best. The evidence shows that the increasing wait times at ports of entry are not a function of a sudden surge of migrants, but of deliberate policy decisions by the Trump Administration to detain as many asylum seekers as possible for as long as possible.

The cumulative impact of the administration’s policies and practices is to leave migrants fleeing extreme violence and poverty in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador—including a large and growing number of families with young children—trapped in vulnerable situations on the Mexican side of the border, where crime and corruption are rife."

long, long, snip, then this section and its beginning paragraph:

A Dangerous Limbo at the Border

"After Trump ended family separations in response to public outcry, the lines outside some ports of entry shortened or disappeared for a time, but immigration attorneys began to see disturbing new tactics to deny asylum-seekers access."

later

"Asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico also face the threat of violence and kidnapping by gangs and cartels. The situation is particularly bad in the Rio Grande Valley. The U.S. State Department has issued a “do not travel” warning for the Mexican state of Tamaulipas—the same warning it issues for countries that are active war zones. The State Department urges U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel” to most other Mexican border states. Cartels often specifically target migrants for kidnapping, demanding ransom from family members. Migrants who cannot pay are sometimes killed. Notoriously, the Zetas cartel massacred 72 migrants in San Fernando, Tamaulipas in 2010, and at least 193 bodies were found in mass graves in the same city in 2011."

"As a result of the Trump administration’s opposition to “catch and release,” ICE is detaining more people than ever before, including an increasing number of asylum seekers. The agency reported to Congress in October that it was detaining an average of 44,631 people per day—about 10,000 more than was typical during the last fiscal year of the Obama administration. The U.S. government is also detaining a record number of unaccompanied migrant children in shelters run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) because of policy changes that have slowed releases from shelters. According to the New York Times, the number of migrant children in shelters quintupled over the last year, to over 13,000 as of September 30.

As HHS shelters and ICE detention centers have filled, CBP has held people in its custody for longer and longer periods before transferring them. CBP detention cells, whether they are located at ports of entry or at border patrol stations, are not designed to hold people overnight. Most are either concrete boxes or chain link cages, with no furniture other than concrete, metal, or wooden benches. Detainees commonly call the CBP cells “hieleras,” meaning freezers, or “perreras,” meaning dog kennels. Medical care is minimal or nonexistent, and detainees do not receive sleeping mats or bedding other than a mylar blanket."

and i DO weep for them, as most are fleeing the results of US-approved putsches of elected leaders in nicaragua and honduras, drug cartels (guns for drugs to amerika), etc.

from wola.org, feb.1: 'Fact Sheet: U.S. Immigration and Central American Asylum Seekers'

also from wola.org: 'Civil Society Groups: Mexico Should Reject U.S. Deal that Forces Asylum Seekers to Wait in Mexico'; it opens:

"On December 21, 2018, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and seven other international civil society organizations sent the following letter to Mexican officials expressing concerns over the so-called “Remain in Mexico” agreement between the United States and Mexico.

The plan that would break with long-standing U.S. asylum policy by requiring asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed in U.S. courts:

(then their letter to hopey-changey AMLO, et.al.)

your 'redresses' plans i'll need to comment on after some chores.

up

2 users have voted.

—

The public has been conditioned over time—in ways that would make Pavlov’s dawg seem like an in independent thinker

The pro-immigration forces need a better role model than AOC. Data which you present in your comment were new to me.

ICE: Immigration control and enforcement. This is too often conflated with Border Patrol. They function separately but better functional integration would surely benefit all concerned. ICE seems equated with the Stasi--breaking down doors, removing children from their parents--at least until recently. But anti-immigration reform elements should make a case for the rarity of such events if they can.

On the other hand the pro-immigration forces communicate as poorly as Chuckles and Nancy. I recently read an article, two pages long, fact-laden which corrects, apparently the distorted Trump presentation of immigration realities. I was unaware of much of the information presented. This information would help the public understand the issues more completely.

More, not less, administrative judges and support staff are needed--perhaps double the current numbers. Housing should be made available to those awaiting disposition of better quality than your comment described. As far as slowing the process purposefully by Trump--show me the data, not that I doubt you are incorrect but I'll give credence to that observation if backed up the statistical data.

79% of the American public is pro-border wall--even many democrats. Several congressional Dems are voicing support for the wall. My essay yesterday revealed that lying neoliberal Chris Cuomo supported the border wall! Dems are listening to the people--or at least pretending to do so.

Did George Soros, through some of his hundred NGOs contribute to any or all of the caravans? I can't tell you. But I have seen videos of people in the caravan being handed money (pesos?) by gun-wearing individuals. Who supplied the money? Who supplied the clothing? Who provided the transit? Without further information, the part Soros plays in this directly or indirectly is speculative. But for a man (if such a psychopath can be so described) who espouses Open Borders across the world NOT to be involved in this societally-damaging enterprise would be most amazing.

there's a lot to unpack on your comment, but as to your 'It is not about safety for illegal aliens', i assume you'd meant 'from [raping, murdering, drug-running illegal aliens'.

first: who do you designate as 'illegal aliens' rather than 'undocumented immigrants' 'asylum seeks', etc. i need to that before i comment further on it, unless you don't come back and i just forge ahead with my assumptions later.

'soros caravans'? from what i've read and found this a.m., that's a reactionary right-wing meme, including of course, the info ward dude alex jones. good grief, gator, whassup with your belief in that?

but here are some opinions on why they're being stopped at the border, first from justsecurity.org: , a few bits:

"On November 9, in response to a large caravan of migrants from Central America slowly traveling through Mexico towards the U.S. border, President Donald Trump’s administration issued a proclamation seeking to forbid migrants who cross the U.S. border anywhere but at an official port of entry from applying for asylum.

The move is legally questionable, and civil rights groups quickly sued to stop it. On Monday night, a federal judge issued a temporary nationwide restraining order barring enforcement of the new policy, saying it likely violated federal law. The federal asylum statute specifically says that anyone who arrives in the United States “whether or not at a designated port of arrival…may apply for asylum.”

"But even as it tells asylum-seekers they must go to a port of entry, the Trump administration has been turning them away from these very same ports for months, claiming that they are “at capacity.” According to both immigration lawyers and a report from the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this has led some migrants to attempt crossing unlawfully." [snip]

"Based on an investigation by the Project On Government Oversight (POGO)—including a review of recent court documents, government reports and statistics, and interviews—DHS’s claim is disingenuous at best. The evidence shows that the increasing wait times at ports of entry are not a function of a sudden surge of migrants, but of deliberate policy decisions by the Trump Administration to detain as many asylum seekers as possible for as long as possible.

The cumulative impact of the administration’s policies and practices is to leave migrants fleeing extreme violence and poverty in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador—including a large and growing number of families with young children—trapped in vulnerable situations on the Mexican side of the border, where crime and corruption are rife."

long, long, snip, then this section and its beginning paragraph:

A Dangerous Limbo at the Border

"After Trump ended family separations in response to public outcry, the lines outside some ports of entry shortened or disappeared for a time, but immigration attorneys began to see disturbing new tactics to deny asylum-seekers access."

later

"Asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico also face the threat of violence and kidnapping by gangs and cartels. The situation is particularly bad in the Rio Grande Valley. The U.S. State Department has issued a “do not travel” warning for the Mexican state of Tamaulipas—the same warning it issues for countries that are active war zones. The State Department urges U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel” to most other Mexican border states. Cartels often specifically target migrants for kidnapping, demanding ransom from family members. Migrants who cannot pay are sometimes killed. Notoriously, the Zetas cartel massacred 72 migrants in San Fernando, Tamaulipas in 2010, and at least 193 bodies were found in mass graves in the same city in 2011."

"As a result of the Trump administration’s opposition to “catch and release,” ICE is detaining more people than ever before, including an increasing number of asylum seekers. The agency reported to Congress in October that it was detaining an average of 44,631 people per day—about 10,000 more than was typical during the last fiscal year of the Obama administration. The U.S. government is also detaining a record number of unaccompanied migrant children in shelters run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) because of policy changes that have slowed releases from shelters. According to the New York Times, the number of migrant children in shelters quintupled over the last year, to over 13,000 as of September 30.

As HHS shelters and ICE detention centers have filled, CBP has held people in its custody for longer and longer periods before transferring them. CBP detention cells, whether they are located at ports of entry or at border patrol stations, are not designed to hold people overnight. Most are either concrete boxes or chain link cages, with no furniture other than concrete, metal, or wooden benches. Detainees commonly call the CBP cells “hieleras,” meaning freezers, or “perreras,” meaning dog kennels. Medical care is minimal or nonexistent, and detainees do not receive sleeping mats or bedding other than a mylar blanket."

and i DO weep for them, as most are fleeing the results of US-approved putsches of elected leaders in nicaragua and honduras, drug cartels (guns for drugs to amerika), etc.

from wola.org, feb.1: 'Fact Sheet: U.S. Immigration and Central American Asylum Seekers'

also from wola.org: 'Civil Society Groups: Mexico Should Reject U.S. Deal that Forces Asylum Seekers to Wait in Mexico'; it opens:

"On December 21, 2018, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and seven other international civil society organizations sent the following letter to Mexican officials expressing concerns over the so-called “Remain in Mexico” agreement between the United States and Mexico.

The plan that would break with long-standing U.S. asylum policy by requiring asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed in U.S. courts:

i just lost half my comment, bugger all. here's what i can reconstruct:

but you never explained my Q about 'illegal alien' v. undocumented, etc..

here's the differentiation, but ICE and CPB are functionally the same by now:

United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is responsible for protecting our nation's borders in order to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities.

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for identifying and shutting down vulnerabilities in the nation's border, economic, transportation and infrastructure security.

second, ocasio2018 is a brand, and a moronic fraud to boot. pelosi and schumer are NOT pro-immigration, as per the point of this diary, darlin'. they don't even give a flim-flam about the workers' suffering during the shut down, they just mumble about it on teevee. nor did they mention T's 'emergency measures' to build the wall on his own, which dictatorial power grab would be an impeachable offense.

you asked this Q, but hadn't addressed it as far as i could tell: "Where does "asylum" end and economic migration begin?". but maybe it was implied in your 'redresses' if i might quote and attempt to answer:

"The humanitarian crisis is present--but the US has better ways to solve it--not that we'll see the needed changes in our life times. Central and to a lesser degree South America is facing a humanitarian crisis."

"The first redress is ending all US-driven aggressive war. Destruction of national economies and persistent threats to personal safety naturally lead to a desire to flee (Frog!--get out of that pan!)
Ending that threat of demolition by the Neocons will be an enormous aid to stop the lower border stampede.

The second redress is focussed foreign aid to countries whence these caravaners come. By focussed aid, I mean monitored disbursement and follow-on audits of aid, especially but not exclusively monetary.

Social Justice Warriors, the sock puppets of Demonratic elites sob tears of sorrow for the poor raggedy bunches of anxious people looking for a good life. After a good 10 minute sob session the SJWs then go to Olive Garden for wine (and whine) and dinner."

i'm gonna press submit, reply to myself or something so i don't lose this much again, okay?

The pro-immigration forces need a better role model than AOC. Data which you present in your comment were new to me.

ICE: Immigration control and enforcement. This is too often conflated with Border Patrol. They function separately but better functional integration would surely benefit all concerned. ICE seems equated with the Stasi--breaking down doors, removing children from their parents--at least until recently. But anti-immigration reform elements should make a case for the rarity of such events if they can.

On the other hand the pro-immigration forces communicate as poorly as Chuckles and Nancy. I recently read an article, two pages long, fact-laden which corrects, apparently the distorted Trump presentation of immigration realities. I was unaware of much of the information presented. This information would help the public understand the issues more completely.

More, not less, administrative judges and support staff are needed--perhaps double the current numbers. Housing should be made available to those awaiting disposition of better quality than your comment described. As far as slowing the process purposefully by Trump--show me the data, not that I doubt you are incorrect but I'll give credence to that observation if backed up the statistical data.

79% of the American public is pro-border wall--even many democrats. Several congressional Dems are voicing support for the wall. My essay yesterday revealed that lying neoliberal Chris Cuomo supported the border wall! Dems are listening to the people--or at least pretending to do so.

Did George Soros, through some of his hundred NGOs contribute to any or all of the caravans? I can't tell you. But I have seen videos of people in the caravan being handed money (pesos?) by gun-wearing individuals. Who supplied the money? Who supplied the clothing? Who provided the transit? Without further information, the part Soros plays in this directly or indirectly is speculative. But for a man (if such a psychopath can be so described) who espouses Open Borders across the world NOT to be involved in this societally-damaging enterprise would be most amazing.

certainly some immigrants are financial refugees, but may are fleeing narco barons and gangs,
political persecution, and more. but you also read the 'slow down the applications' theme; the numbers are there if you look.

as far as i know, your redress concerning 'wars of aggression' (are any NOT wars of choice, post wwII? and some debate that.) but other than 'war by other means' in latin and south america, toppling elected governments by insider coups in honduras, nicaragua, brazil (dilma, lula), and other nations isn't relevant afaik, but around the globe, you're correct. there's some sort of immigration compact being discussed in the EU (i'd seen it on alexis tsipras's twit thing while looking for info for a greek unity4j commenter at the café).

but again, i wonder who you think fits into the neo-con rubric and who doesn't? but that's a whole 'nother duopoly issue, isn't it, given both are war parties, Ds are the CIA party?

but yes, foreign aid targeted to the actual poor is rare, but when i'd seen that, i'd had to chuckle remembering some earlier bits from wsws i was saving for a separate AMLO diary.

"On December 24, the Mexican Chamber of Deputies approved the first budget of the new “leftist” president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). The funding package is characterized by a massive increase in military spending, negligible funds for social programs, and the creation of a new free economic zone at the US-Mexico border to further exploit Mexican, US and Central American workers."
............
"Finance capital has commended the budget precisely because it protects the interests of the ruling elite. Meanwhile, massive sums have been granted for repressive measures that will be used against any independent movement of the working class as it becomes disillusioned with Morena and turns to a fight for genuine social equality.

AMLO and Morena awarded the Mexican military its largest funding package in history, with an 11 percent increase from the Peña Nieto administration’s 2018 budget. Although he campaigned under the promise of removing the Armed Forces from domestic security operations, AMLO has backtracked by announcing the creation of a new National Guard that will be composed of between 120,000 and 150,000 members by 2021. The National Guard amounts to a new wing of the military and will be controlled by military brass.

This massive military increase must be seen in the context of a growing crisis at the US-Mexico border. On December 20, the Trump administration announced that it would immediately deport new Central American asylum seekers to Mexico pending the resolution of their asylum claims, which the AMLO administration agreed to enforce. This sets the stage for an explosion of anger by tens of thousands of immigrants who did not escape extreme poverty and gang violence to be condemned to a life of shantytowns at the border. As workers and peasants become more desperate, the Mexican military and National Guard will be deployed to carry out the dirty work of US imperialism."

"A pittance for the poor is being combined with a bonanza for corporations. On Monday, AMLO has announced a new free economic zone at the US-Mexico border that will slash the value-added tax in half, from 16 to 8 percent. The top income tax at the border will also decrease from 30 to 20 percent. The new free economic zone will reportedly be the largest in the world and will stretch from Baja California on the Pacific coast to Tamaulipas on the Gulf of Mexico.

AMLO has sought to sell what amounts to a new state-sponsored center of exploitation by raising the minimum daily wage in the new economic zone to $9—or a little more than one dollar per hour in an eight hour day. Despite being slightly higher minimum wages than the rest of Mexico, these remain poverty wages that will be clawed back through more exploitative working conditions and fewer benefits for Mexican, Central American and US workers. The tax cuts are also estimated to leave a budget shortfall of $610 billion (120 billion pesos), which will be paid for through cuts in social services for these same workers and youth."

a few bits from 'US and Mexican governments agree on new Central American “Marshall Plan”, alex González, 21 December 2018

"On Tuesday, the US and Mexican governments announced a new Central American development plan aimed at stemming the tide of migrants to the US. The new program, dubbed a new “Marshall Plan”—invoking the US program for reviving post-World War II European capitalism—will reportedly focus on infrastructure efforts in the “Northern Triangle” countries of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

The Mexican government will invest $25 billion over five years, while the US will contribute $5.8 billion to the Northern Triangle and $4.8 billion to Mexico. The US funds will not constitute new money, but will merely be reallocated from existing aid efforts. There will be an additional $4.5 billion from new loans that will be managed through the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and will have to be repaid.

The plan was announced by a joint US-Mexican statement weeks after it was initially proposed by the new government of “leftist” President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). “Perhaps it is not like the Marshall Plan, but it is similar in the scope of what we are addressing in terms of the amount of effort that needs to be done, the largest investment in recent years, in the three Central American countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras,” stated Mexican foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard."
.......................
The deal could also result in a so-called “Remain in Mexico” policy between the US and Mexico that would further restrict asylum requests in the US. This would entail naming Mexico a “safe third country” under asylum law with the aim of denying immigrants seeking asylum entry to the US, as they could “safely” remain in Mexico.

A continuation of the deportation policies of the former Peña Nieto administration would quickly discredit the “leftist” AMLO. The Mexican Commission for Assistance to Refugees (Comar) currently has a backlog of more than 48,000 refugee applications. According to the agency, the number of refugee applications received four years ago was about 2,000. This year is expected to close with more than 26,000 from migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala."

"The “Marshall plan” will do nothing to substantially change the circumstances of Central American migrants. From the side of the Central American and Mexican bourgeoisies, the goal of the plan is to present a stop-gap measure aimed at defusing unbearable conditions that could lead to political convulsions throughout the region. The AMLO administration also sees this as a way to develop the south of Mexico as a low-wage platform for transnational corporations that would be staffed with cheap Central American labor.

The US and Mexico will hold a “business summit” in the first three months of 2019 for corporations interested in participating in the plan. The offering of Central American raw materials and human resources up to the claws of finance capital is nothing new. After all, the region has suffered decades of US-backed dictatorships for the very purpose of guaranteeing the profits of corporations."

it's impossible NOT to imagine zones of maquilladora sweatshops at both borders of mexico.
oh, and later, as i understand it, AMLO made himself unitrty commander of all the armed forces, including the national guard, and his stated reason for enlarging both was: to fight the narco cartels.

i just lost half my comment, bugger all. here's what i can reconstruct:

but you never explained my Q about 'illegal alien' v. undocumented, etc..

here's the differentiation, but ICE and CPB are functionally the same by now:

United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is responsible for protecting our nation's borders in order to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities.

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for identifying and shutting down vulnerabilities in the nation's border, economic, transportation and infrastructure security.

second, ocasio2018 is a brand, and a moronic fraud to boot. pelosi and schumer are NOT pro-immigration, as per the point of this diary, darlin'. they don't even give a flim-flam about the workers' suffering during the shut down, they just mumble about it on teevee. nor did they mention T's 'emergency measures' to build the wall on his own, which dictatorial power grab would be an impeachable offense.

you asked this Q, but hadn't addressed it as far as i could tell: "Where does "asylum" end and economic migration begin?". but maybe it was implied in your 'redresses' if i might quote and attempt to answer:

"The humanitarian crisis is present--but the US has better ways to solve it--not that we'll see the needed changes in our life times. Central and to a lesser degree South America is facing a humanitarian crisis."

"The first redress is ending all US-driven aggressive war. Destruction of national economies and persistent threats to personal safety naturally lead to a desire to flee (Frog!--get out of that pan!)
Ending that threat of demolition by the Neocons will be an enormous aid to stop the lower border stampede.

The second redress is focussed foreign aid to countries whence these caravaners come. By focussed aid, I mean monitored disbursement and follow-on audits of aid, especially but not exclusively monetary.

Social Justice Warriors, the sock puppets of Demonratic elites sob tears of sorrow for the poor raggedy bunches of anxious people looking for a good life. After a good 10 minute sob session the SJWs then go to Olive Garden for wine (and whine) and dinner."

i'm gonna press submit, reply to myself or something so i don't lose this much again, okay?

@wendy davis
True, I did not cite legal points separating asylum seekers from economic migrants. Nor have I read the currently in-force immigration statutes. But asylum seekers are supposed to request asylum at the first border crossed from the originating country. This is difficult if two adjacent countries are both hostile to the demographics (e.g., poor campesinos etc.)

As you observe quite correctly, the Dems don't give a crap about immigrants (except for votes). Nor do they care about you or me.

Back to one of my key points: Dems do not communicate effectively about their plans, usually offering no constructive alternatives. They have not learned the Lesson of 2016: you cannot run on a negative platform of being not-Trump. Where's the beef? What we get from them is hypocrisy--grade 100%. That's the only pure thing Dems do: be hypocritical.

certainly some immigrants are financial refugees, but may are fleeing narco barons and gangs,
political persecution, and more. but you also read the 'slow down the applications' theme; the numbers are there if you look.

as far as i know, your redress concerning 'wars of aggression' (are any NOT wars of choice, post wwII? and some debate that.) but other than 'war by other means' in latin and south america, toppling elected governments by insider coups in honduras, nicaragua, brazil (dilma, lula), and other nations isn't relevant afaik, but around the globe, you're correct. there's some sort of immigration compact being discussed in the EU (i'd seen it on alexis tsipras's twit thing while looking for info for a greek unity4j commenter at the café).

but again, i wonder who you think fits into the neo-con rubric and who doesn't? but that's a whole 'nother duopoly issue, isn't it, given both are war parties, Ds are the CIA party?

but yes, foreign aid targeted to the actual poor is rare, but when i'd seen that, i'd had to chuckle remembering some earlier bits from wsws i was saving for a separate AMLO diary.

"On December 24, the Mexican Chamber of Deputies approved the first budget of the new “leftist” president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). The funding package is characterized by a massive increase in military spending, negligible funds for social programs, and the creation of a new free economic zone at the US-Mexico border to further exploit Mexican, US and Central American workers."
............
"Finance capital has commended the budget precisely because it protects the interests of the ruling elite. Meanwhile, massive sums have been granted for repressive measures that will be used against any independent movement of the working class as it becomes disillusioned with Morena and turns to a fight for genuine social equality.

AMLO and Morena awarded the Mexican military its largest funding package in history, with an 11 percent increase from the Peña Nieto administration’s 2018 budget. Although he campaigned under the promise of removing the Armed Forces from domestic security operations, AMLO has backtracked by announcing the creation of a new National Guard that will be composed of between 120,000 and 150,000 members by 2021. The National Guard amounts to a new wing of the military and will be controlled by military brass.

This massive military increase must be seen in the context of a growing crisis at the US-Mexico border. On December 20, the Trump administration announced that it would immediately deport new Central American asylum seekers to Mexico pending the resolution of their asylum claims, which the AMLO administration agreed to enforce. This sets the stage for an explosion of anger by tens of thousands of immigrants who did not escape extreme poverty and gang violence to be condemned to a life of shantytowns at the border. As workers and peasants become more desperate, the Mexican military and National Guard will be deployed to carry out the dirty work of US imperialism."

"A pittance for the poor is being combined with a bonanza for corporations. On Monday, AMLO has announced a new free economic zone at the US-Mexico border that will slash the value-added tax in half, from 16 to 8 percent. The top income tax at the border will also decrease from 30 to 20 percent. The new free economic zone will reportedly be the largest in the world and will stretch from Baja California on the Pacific coast to Tamaulipas on the Gulf of Mexico.

AMLO has sought to sell what amounts to a new state-sponsored center of exploitation by raising the minimum daily wage in the new economic zone to $9—or a little more than one dollar per hour in an eight hour day. Despite being slightly higher minimum wages than the rest of Mexico, these remain poverty wages that will be clawed back through more exploitative working conditions and fewer benefits for Mexican, Central American and US workers. The tax cuts are also estimated to leave a budget shortfall of $610 billion (120 billion pesos), which will be paid for through cuts in social services for these same workers and youth."

a few bits from 'US and Mexican governments agree on new Central American “Marshall Plan”, alex González, 21 December 2018

"On Tuesday, the US and Mexican governments announced a new Central American development plan aimed at stemming the tide of migrants to the US. The new program, dubbed a new “Marshall Plan”—invoking the US program for reviving post-World War II European capitalism—will reportedly focus on infrastructure efforts in the “Northern Triangle” countries of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

The Mexican government will invest $25 billion over five years, while the US will contribute $5.8 billion to the Northern Triangle and $4.8 billion to Mexico. The US funds will not constitute new money, but will merely be reallocated from existing aid efforts. There will be an additional $4.5 billion from new loans that will be managed through the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and will have to be repaid.

The plan was announced by a joint US-Mexican statement weeks after it was initially proposed by the new government of “leftist” President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). “Perhaps it is not like the Marshall Plan, but it is similar in the scope of what we are addressing in terms of the amount of effort that needs to be done, the largest investment in recent years, in the three Central American countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras,” stated Mexican foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard."
.......................
The deal could also result in a so-called “Remain in Mexico” policy between the US and Mexico that would further restrict asylum requests in the US. This would entail naming Mexico a “safe third country” under asylum law with the aim of denying immigrants seeking asylum entry to the US, as they could “safely” remain in Mexico.

A continuation of the deportation policies of the former Peña Nieto administration would quickly discredit the “leftist” AMLO. The Mexican Commission for Assistance to Refugees (Comar) currently has a backlog of more than 48,000 refugee applications. According to the agency, the number of refugee applications received four years ago was about 2,000. This year is expected to close with more than 26,000 from migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala."

"The “Marshall plan” will do nothing to substantially change the circumstances of Central American migrants. From the side of the Central American and Mexican bourgeoisies, the goal of the plan is to present a stop-gap measure aimed at defusing unbearable conditions that could lead to political convulsions throughout the region. The AMLO administration also sees this as a way to develop the south of Mexico as a low-wage platform for transnational corporations that would be staffed with cheap Central American labor.

The US and Mexico will hold a “business summit” in the first three months of 2019 for corporations interested in participating in the plan. The offering of Central American raw materials and human resources up to the claws of finance capital is nothing new. After all, the region has suffered decades of US-backed dictatorships for the very purpose of guaranteeing the profits of corporations."

it's impossible NOT to imagine zones of maquilladora sweatshops at both borders of mexico.
oh, and later, as i understand it, AMLO made himself unitrty commander of all the armed forces, including the national guard, and his stated reason for enlarging both was: to fight the narco cartels.

about the 'first border one crosses' rule, gator. but my original Q concerned 'illegal aliens' v. undocumented, etc. so i'll just briefly say that it seems immigrants have the right (international?) to request asylum, but 'aliens' already living in amerika are often deemed 'illegal' for a list of crimes: not carrying their green cards with them, being out of the country for a day longer than they were allowed, some tech glitch in the immigration system where they have the same name as someone on the watch or no-fly lists, etc.

this is a local story: 'ICE fugitive seeks sanctuary in Mancos church', durango herald, july 2017, the NYT piked it up, i forget how or why, but i do know the church and rosa must have gotten lot of contributions.

"So close to citizenship

Sabido’s story is one of close calls, near misses and frustrating encounters when it comes to obtaining citizenship and delaying deportation, according to a four-page timeline and summary of events provided by Sabido’s immigration attorney, Jennifer Kain-Rios of Lakewood.

The first close call: Sabido’s step-father is a legal resident of the United States. But for U.S. immigration law to recognize the relationship of a stepchild, a marriage must take place before the child’s 18th birthday. Sabido’s mother married Manuel Sabido on Rosa Sabido’s 18th birthday.

Another close call: Sabido came to the United States in 1987, one year after the 1986 amnesty that gave 2.7 million undocumented residents a pathway to citizenship.
.....................
"According her attorney’s timeline, Sabido made several trips to Mexico in the 1990s on a travel visa. But she apparently stayed in Mexico too long on one of those visits – more than 90 days – which broke 10 years of continuous residency and disrupted an avenue to permanent residency.

After Sabido’s mother gained permanent residency, Sabido applied for residency in 2001. But immigration is so backed up that her petition is still pending. In the meantime, she has dodged several deportation orders and been granted six one-year stays of removal.

But for unknown reasons, her application for a seventh one-year stay of removal was denied this year.", etc.

anyhoo, gotta scoot, chores calling...

#8.2.3.1.1 True, I did not cite legal points separating asylum seekers from economic migrants. Nor have I read the currently in-force immigration statutes. But asylum seekers are supposed to request asylum at the first border crossed from the originating country. This is difficult if two adjacent countries are both hostile to the demographics (e.g., poor campesinos etc.)

As you observe quite correctly, the Dems don't give a crap about immigrants (except for votes). Nor do they care about you or me.

Back to one of my key points: Dems do not communicate effectively about their plans, usually offering no constructive alternatives. They have not learned the Lesson of 2016: you cannot run on a negative platform of being not-Trump. Where's the beef? What we get from them is hypocrisy--grade 100%. That's the only pure thing Dems do: be hypocritical.

There are countless remains of the dead that are never identified along the US/Mexico border. Some are never found. Some are only skeletons when they are found. Nobody knows just how many, but they are there. They exist on both sides of the border. Coyotes bring some here safely, but they rape and kill others. They also deliver them to drug cartels who force them to mule in drugs or kill them if they refuse.

Our policies and covert operations have created this. We should not be discussing whether or not people are racists and saying that anyone who doesn't believe in open borders wants a war on brown people. We should be demanding that our govt STOP creating the crisis in the first place. Stop driving them from their homes.

Our "racist" in chief has actually proposed easing H1-B visa restrictions in order to bring more brown people in for high tech jobs because he and other "racists" in his cabinet believe we don't have enough workers skilled enough to fill the positions. This is a scheme by big business to import workers who won't get medical benefits, and who'll work longer for less.

I don't see it as racism. I see it as collateral damage while worshipping the almighty dollar. There's money to be made in their prospective countries and the intention is to hope the refugees die so they don't cost money if they make it here. The Indian imports on H1-B visas can displace American workers who will die off because they can't afford healthcare without the job the lost to the imported laborer.

They want us all working for free or dead. Not just the brown ones from down south.

well said. but the reason i called the puerco a racist/racialist was down to how he'd smeared the asylum seekers in his vile speech. see the OP.

There are countless remains of the dead that are never identified along the US/Mexico border. Some are never found. Some are only skeletons when they are found. Nobody knows just how many, but they are there. They exist on both sides of the border. Coyotes bring some here safely, but they rape and kill others. They also deliver them to drug cartels who force them to mule in drugs or kill them if they refuse.

Our policies and covert operations have created this. We should not be discussing whether or not people are racists and saying that anyone who doesn't believe in open borders wants a war on brown people. We should be demanding that our govt STOP creating the crisis in the first place. Stop driving them from their homes.

Our "racist" in chief has actually proposed easing H1-B visa restrictions in order to bring more brown people in for high tech jobs because he and other "racists" in his cabinet believe we don't have enough workers skilled enough to fill the positions. This is a scheme by big business to import workers who won't get medical benefits, and who'll work longer for less.

I don't see it as racism. I see it as collateral damage while worshipping the almighty dollar. There's money to be made in their prospective countries and the intention is to hope the refugees die so they don't cost money if they make it here. The Indian imports on H1-B visas can displace American workers who will die off because they can't afford healthcare without the job the lost to the imported laborer.

They want us all working for free or dead. Not just the brown ones from down south.

@wendy davis
I usually have a hard time following what's being said by you and what's being pasted from articles you link to because of no box quote, different colored font, and non English. And yes, I know you crosspost. Still doesn't make it easier to follow. Not to mention the foreign languages that are mixed with English. Had to look up the word you keep calling Trump, and I live in Texico. (I eat tacos made of pastor, so I didn't know what you were calling him, other than a racist.)

I saw the speech. I read in the OP the response. The response didn't sound like they were actually denouncing anything but the wall ($$). NPR, the following day seemed only to harp on the heroin issue. They said most heroin gets in through other points of entry, not border crossings. Of course it does, just ask the CIA lol. Still, some how, he is the racist pig, but they are not.

What I've not seen addressed is how a huge group of people seem to have somehow managed to organically organize and travel together for thousands of miles without someone doing the organizing behind the scenes. It's as if it all magically happened. Think of a musical where everyone around town stops what they're doing, hears people singing outside, joins them in song and they all start happily walking together in the same direction, their numbers growing exponentially along the way. Something is certainly not adding up.

Like I said in my original comment, it ain't about brown, it's about money. They want us either dead, or working for free. I still want to know who's behind the mass exodus down south, too.